By: Ahmed Fathi
New York: In a somber address at the United Nations headquarters today, Secretary-General António Guterres sounded the alarm over a rapidly escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Speaking to the press, Guterres emphasized the dire situation facing Palestinians as the poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, putting hundreds of thousands of children at risk.
"Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall," Guterres declared. "Just when it seems the situation could not get worse for Palestinians in Gaza, the suffering grows – and the world watches."
The detection of poliovirus in Gaza’s wastewater signals that the virus is circulating, heightening the threat to children under 10. The United Nations, in coordination with various agencies, is preparing to launch an urgent vaccination campaign to prevent a full-scale outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the release of 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine, which will be administered to over 640,000 children across Gaza.
However, Guterres outlined significant challenges that could hinder the vaccination effort. "Health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza have been decimated," he said. "The majority of hospitals and primary care facilities are not functional. People are constantly on the run for safety."
The Secretary-General stressed that at least 95 percent vaccination coverage would be necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further. To achieve this, the campaign will deploy 708 teams across hospitals and primary health care centers, supported by 316 community outreach teams. Despite these efforts, the logistical hurdles are immense. Reliable transport for vaccines, fuel for health teams, and secure communication channels are among the critical needs identified by the UN.
Above all, Guterres emphasized the need for safety. He made a direct appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to guarantee "humanitarian pauses" to allow the vaccination campaign to proceed. "The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire," Guterres stated. "But in any case, a Polio Pause is a must. It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over."
When asked about the timeline for the humanitarian pause, Guterres responded, "Ideally, we need a ceasefire. In a situation in which a ceasefire is not in place, there is a plan. For the implementation of that plan, we need a pause, and that requires, of course, an agreement between the parties."
Guterres concluded his remarks with a call to action, urging the international community to mobilize not for conflict, but to combat the spread of polio—a disease that, if left unchecked, could have catastrophic consequences not only for Gaza’s children but for neighboring countries and the broader region.
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